Having been cross-entered for a potential clash with fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Analyze It (Point of Entry) in Saturday's GII Pennine Ridge S., Hawkish (Artie Schiller) shipped into Central Pennsylvania for the GII Penn Mile S. and arguably walked away with the mantle of the top sophomore turf male following a convincing three-length victory.
Ultimately sent off the 7-5 chalk after battling GII American Turf hero Maraud (Blame) in a pari-mutuel sense, the athletic gelding was in the mix and headstrong through the opening exchanges, but Manny Franco was ultimately able to get the gelding to settle better and he raced in about sixth as California raider Encumbered (Violence) set the pace inside of Maraud for the opening half-mile. Steered out into the four path and facing the breeze down the back, Hawkish leapt into the bridle leaving the three-eighths pole and began picking off rivals one by one while covering extra real estate.
Four or five deep off the home corner, he quickly descended upon Maraud at the furlong grounds while wanting to lug in, then raced away to post a clear-cut success. Way Early (Tizway) rallied from far back to be second just ahead of fellow outsider Coltandmississippi (Pioneerof the Nile) in third.
Hawkish uncorked a furious rally to annex his one-mile debut at Gulfstream Jan. 6 en route to Rising Star status, then gave a good account of himself to finish fourth to Maraud in the GIII Palm Beach S. in Hallandale Mar. 3. He made light work of an Aqueduct allowance test Apr. 15, driving clear to win by a widening 4 3/4 lengths.
Pedigree Notes:
Acquired by this breeder for $40,000 with this colt in utero at the OBS Fall Mixed Sale in 2014, Hawkish descends from a wildly productive Darby Dan family and one with which trainer Jimmy Toner would be very familiar. On behalf of John and Joan Phillips, Toner conditioned Hawkish's wonderfully talented second dam Memories of Silver to a pair of Grade I victories in the late 1990s and has since conditioned that mare's multiple Grade I-winning daughter Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}) and Grade III winner La Cloche (Ghostzapper), the latter of which produced the Toner-trained MSW Bellevais (Tapit). Memories of Silver's other stakes-winning offspring include British Blue (Storm Cat) and War Trace (Storm Cat). The further female family includes Memories (Hail the Pirates), dam of MSW & MGSP Russian Revival (Nureyev) and Singapore Guineas winner Forever Young, a son of current Darby Dan inmate Run Away and Hide. The dam of the current 2-year-old filly Champagne Diet (Declaration of War), Bridal Memories foaled a filly by Summer Front in 2017 and a colt by Data Link earlier this year.
Saturday, Penn National
PENN MILE S.-GII, $500,000, Penn National, 6-2, 3yo, 1mT, 1:35.16, fm.
1–HAWKISH, 118, g, 3, by Artie Schiller
1st Dam: Bridal Memories, by Unbridled
2nd Dam: Memories of Silver, by Silver Hawk
3rd Dam: All My Memories, by Little Current
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE & 1ST GRADED STAKES WINS.
O-Robert V. LaPenta, AJ Suited Racing Stable, LLC & Madaket
Stables LLC; B-AJ Suited, LLC (KY); T-James J. Toner; J-Manuel
Franco. $284,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $359,700.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A. [bullet ad=”denali-foaled-raised-for-j-nicholson-k-sharp”][bullet ad=”bsw-private-purchase-madaket-stables”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”blackwood-graduate-2″][bullet ad=”xavier-private-purchase”][bullet ad=”winstar-win-20000″]2–Way Early, 118, g, 3, Tizway–Jill Robin L, by Precocity.
($35,000 Ylg '16 SARAUG). O-Jim & Susan Hill; B-Mares Rule III
LLC (NY); T-George Weaver. $98,000.[bullet ad=”equix-selection”]3–Coltandmississippi, 118, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Selva, by
Forest Wildcat. ($400,000 Wlg '15 KEENOV). O-Teresa Viola
Racing Stables & St. Elias Stable; B-Alexander-Groves
Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $56,150.[bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”]Margins: 3, NK, NK. Odds: 1.40, 20.70, 21.60.
Also Ran: Maraud, Encumbered, Therapist, He's Bankable. Scratched: Smart Remark. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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